Ausra Opens for Business in Australia
Utility-scale solar thermal technology ready to serve Australia's energy needs
Sydney, Australia—July 13, 2008—Ausra, Inc., the designer, manufacturer and developer of solar thermal technology for utility-scale solar power and steam applications, today officially announced the opening of Ausra Pty Limited in Australia. The company, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, will build upon Ausra's first-generation technology developed in New South Wales and deploy it on a large-scale basis, providing electricity and steam for utilities and industrial customers.
"Australian innovation has created several clean technologies, including Ausra's own solar thermal technology. Now it is Australia's time to lead the world, deploying zero carbon power generation and securing its energy needs now and into the future," said Ausra President and CEO Robert E. Fishman.
Ausra's pioneering solar thermal technology was developed and first deployed in Australia by the company's founder Dr. David Mills. Leading US venture capital firms financed rapid expansion of the company in the United States, where it has announced a major power purchase agreement with California's Pacific Gas and Electric Company and recently opened a solar thermal power manufacturing facility—the first of its kind in the United States.
During today's announcement of the company's expansion and readiness to serve the Australian market, Fishman also announced the appointment of utility power industry leader Bob Matthews president of the company's Australian operations.
"Bob Matthews has many years of experience managing and working in large-scale power facilities in Australia, and he has a crucial understanding of what power companies, government and industry need to manage power generation."
Matthews said he is already inundated with inquires across Australia for business opportunities to build and provide power on a large scale.
"Ausra is now growing beyond its original Australian pilot project and is open for business to supply clean, cost-effective solar power and process steam for customers and communities at the largest scale. We are excited to be bringing Australian-originated technology to power utilityscale facilities back home," said Matthews.
"One of the real benefits of the Ausra solution is that Ausra solar farms can be retro-fitted or "bolted" onto existing coal-fired power stations, or operate on a hybrid basis alongside fossil fuel generation – reducing carbon emissions," added Matthews.
Ausra's unique solar collector design is exceptionally space-efficient. The company's 177-megawatt facility under development in the USA will power 120,000 homes and occupy only one square mile (640 acres) of land.
Ausra currently has solar steam production fields and power plants in construction and development in Australia and the USA, and has just this month opened the reflector production line of its first North American manufacturing and distribution center in Las Vegas. Ausra's manufacturing facility will produce solar equipment for power plants throughout the American Southwest and for Ausra's process steam customers, who are adopting solar thermal power to lower their fuel costs and emissions in their operations, including food processing, enhanced oil recovery and refining, and pulp and paper manufacturing.
The 130,000-square-foot, highly automated manufacturing and distribution center will supply the reflectors, absorber tubes, and other key components of the company's solar thermal power plants to the rapidly growing Southwestern solar power industry. In Southern Nevada alone, developers are planning more than $50 billion of future solar power plants.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Ausra President and CEO Robert Fishman officially opened the new solar manufacturing plant. They were joined by Solar Energy Industries Association President Rhone Resch, Nevada Development Authority President and CEO Somer Hollingworth, and southern Nevada government and business leaders in opening the factory.
"Nevada is poised to be a leader in the clean energy revolution," said Reid. Earlier this month, Australian Premiers John Brumby and Anna Bligh, and New South Wales Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Verity Firth visited the Ausra factory for a pre-opening tour and briefing on Ausra's plans and capabilities in Australia. [images available] Ausra uses Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector technology to capture the sun's power to produce electric and thermal energy without pollution. Mirrors focus sunlight to heat water pipes, and the resulting steam drives a turbine to generate electricity or steam for industrial processing.
About Ausra
Ausra, Inc. and Ausra Pty Limited develop and deploy utility-scale solar thermal steam and power technology to serve global electricity needs in a dependable, market-competitive and environmentally responsible manner. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Ausra is a privately held company funded by Khosla Ventures and Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. To learn more about Ausra and solar thermal power in general, visit www.ausra.com.
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